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Calculating food consumption in the laboratory: a formula to adjust for natural weight loss

Version 2 2023-06-23, 11:05
Version 1 2023-05-26, 11:05
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-23, 11:05 authored by SG Candy, Susan BakerSusan Baker
We derive a formula for correcting the weight of food eaten by an animal for natural weight loss (or gain) of the food, such as through moisture loss and food respiration. The formula is derived using a differential equation to model the loss in fresh weight based on a constant consumption rate and assumptions about the form of the function for weight loss over time of the aliquot. The standard formula is shown to over-estimate the weight of eaten food compared to our theoretically derived formula. This over-estimation is negligible (< 0.2%) for moisture loss below about 10% but increases sharply to 8% when moisture loss is 50%. We illustrate the application of these two formulae using a laboratory study of consumption rate by larvae of a phytophagous insect: the Tasmanian eucalyptus leaf beetle, Chrysophtharta bimaculata (Olivier) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae).

History

Publication title

Australian Journal of Entomology

Volume

41

Issue

2

Article number

2

Number

2

Pagination

170-173

Department/School

Biological Sciences

Publisher

Blackwell Publishing Asia

Publication status

  • Published

Rights statement

The definitive published version is available online at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

260201 Hardwood plantations

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    University Of Tasmania

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